Monday 14th Feb 2011
Spent Valentines day in Starbucks and didn't get to climb because Leonard changed his mind about going out. He wants to go on Tuesday instead. I texted Teissia (climber I met on first day out at Echo) to see if she wants to go out climbing with us on Tuesday too.
Went to Gabrielle's house (my couchsurfing.org host for the next week hopefully) and met her, then went out to dinner at a nice Chinese place, then back to hers. She spent the night studying and I on the internet. Having free wifi is such a trap!
Tuesday 15th Feb 2011
So Today to Echo cliffs, with Leonard the Equadorian. Finally the rope! But it is raining too much to climb anywhere but the Kamikaze Cave, a steep area of the cliffs mentioned in an earlier post. There are some really sweet looking routes there, but sadly they are all chipped to a greater or lesser degree. The cave is very very steep, and I can see that the features are small and generally pretty blank, so to some extent (coming from the BIG CHIP quarry town) I can see why the FA guys did it. But it still makes the place a manky gym really and not inspiring.
I couldn't get up the 5.12b warm up - steep grade 25 pocket and crimp climbing with the first hard move a pull from a first joint 1 finger pocket up to a small undercling, then a cross over to a slot. Tensiony, fingery, injury! I came down and gave Lenny a go, but he didn't want to risk his finger in the mono so came down at the same point as me. Lucky the whole cave is equipped with perma-draws, so all we had to do was lower off and pull the rope!
I did all the moves on a 5.13a first go, with rests at every draw, so I'm not too sure of the accuracy of the grade. I couldn't sent it, and won't be able to unless I get strong again, but I think at my peak I could do it. Therefore to me can't be 5.13a. That is in the region of Ewbanks 28/29 I think, which at my best is not beyond me, but to do so well only just back from 3 months off and on the first work session is suspect. Lenny thought it was hard though, and he climbs 13b/c. He ended up doing it in 3 hangs, linking through the hard start and falling where I think the redpoint crux is. He also fell high on the headwall, where I had no trouble, but I think with some refined beta he'll do fine there.
Back to Gabrielle's; I cooked Beef and Blackbean stirfry for dinner. It turned out ok and she seemed to enjoy it, so that was a plus. We've had some great chats and she is very easy to get along with. I'm still amazed at this couchsurfing thing - some people are so giving and trusting! It makes me feel sad and angry to think of all the selfishness I see, especially in myself. I definitely have to become a host myself when I settle down somewhere.
Wednesday 16th Feb 2011
Catch up on some washing - wow so blog-worthy! I need to start this epic rock climbing adventure so i can blog about something worthwhile! Actually that's not fair at all, to the people I've met so far and to myself. Rock climbing is the vehicle taking me from place to place, but so far the best experiences have been skin and bone. Ok that's sounds dodgy! Meeting new people who are really living, really digging life. (I just finished reading The Road by Jack Kerouac and he's coming through in my writing!)
i took Gabrielle down to Rockreation indoor climbing gym - her first time. They wouldn't let me belay with a grigri there, something to do with their insurance; and they wouldn't let her belay me at all because they didn't have a qualified instructor there on the day to show her how. So I belayed her on top-rope and she watched me boulder. She really enjoyed it, and I enjoyed introducing her to it and coaching her a little, although I did talk her ear off and tell her way too many things for a newbie to take in all at once! But she learned well and got a good burn out of it. I think she is a little hooked on it now, but we'll see if she continues with it beyond today.
Out to dinner with Gabrielle to a lovely woodfire pizza place, then home to watch Salt.
No comments:
Post a Comment